Introduction
Carlos Ulberg (born 17 November 1990) is a New Zealand mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Background
Ulberg was born in New Zealand to parents of Norwegian, Māori and Samoan descent. He was raised by a foster family in South Auckland from the age of four and attended Hillary College throughout his upbringing. Ulberg began playing rugby league as a child, a sport in which he would later compete at the semi-professional level when he became a Counties-Manukau representative. He was a contestant on the Game Of Bros reality television show in 2018 and was twice offered the opportunity to star in New Zealand's version of The Bachelor.
Ulberg works part-time as a model.
Professional boxing career
In August 2015, Ulberg fought in his first and only professional boxing fight, with his stable mate Sam Rapira main eventing the card. He took on Daniel Meehan. Ulberg won the fight by unanimous decision.
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Ulberg made his MMA debut in 2011 for the King of the Door promotion when he faced Kaota Puna and secured a second round knockout in his first professional fight.
Dana White's Contender Series
Ulberg competed at Dana White's Contender Series 34 on 4 November 2020 and earned himself a UFC contract via a first round knockout of Bruno Oliveira.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ulberg made his UFC debut on 6 March 2021 at UFC 259 where he faced Kennedy Nzechukwu. Ulberg had Nzechukwu in trouble early with a flurry of strikes, but quickly became exhausted and ultimately lost the fight via knockout in the second round. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.
Ulberg faced Fabio Cherant on 12 February 2022 at UFC 271. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Ulberg faced Tafon Nchukwi on 25 June 2022, at UFC on ESPN: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot. He won via TKO in the first round.
Ulberg faced Nicolae Negumereanu on November 12, 2022, at UFC 281. He won the fight via knockout in the first round.
Ulberg faced Ihor Potieria on May 13, 2023, at UFC on ABC 4. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.
Ulberg faced Da Un Jung on September 10, 2023, at UFC 293. He won the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in round three.
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championships
- Fight of the Night (one time) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
- Performance of the Night (one time) vs. Ihor Potieria
Kickboxing
- King in the Ring
- 2017 King in the Ring 100 kg Tournament Champion
- 2019 King in the Ring 92 kg Tournament Champion
Mixed martial arts record
| 10 matches | 9 wins | 1 loss |
| By knockout | 6 | 1 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 9–1 | Jung Da-un | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 293 | September 10, 2023 | 3 | 4:49 | Sydney, Australia | |
| Win | 8–1 | Ihor Potieria | TKO (punches) | UFC on ABC: Rozenstruik vs. Almeida | May 13, 2023 | 1 | 2:09 | Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 7–1 | Nicolae Negumereanu | KO (punches) | UFC 281 | November 12, 2022 | 1 | 3:44 | New York City, New York, United States | |
| Win | 6–1 | Tafon Nchukwi | TKO (punches) | UFC on ESPN: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot | June 25, 2022 | 1 | 1:15 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 5–1 | Fabio Cherant | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 271 | February 12, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Loss | 4–1 | Kennedy Nzechukwu | KO (punches) | UFC 259 | March 6, 2021 | 2 | 3:19 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 4–0 | Bruno Oliveira | KO (punches) | Dana White's Contender Series 34 | November 4, 2020 | 1 | 2:02 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Return to Light Heavyweight. |
| Win | 3–0 | John Martin Fraser | Decision (unanimous) | Eternal MMA 40 | December 8, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Perth, Australia | Heavyweight debut. |
| Win | 2–0 | Umed Rakhmatulloyev | TKO (punches and knee) | World Kings Glory MMA 3 | August 25, 2016 | 1 | 3:03 | Heilongjiang, China | |
| Win | 1–0 | Kaota Puna | TKO (punches) | King of the Door: Submission 2 | August 26, 2011 | 2 | N/A | Auckland, New Zealand | Light Heavyweight debut. |
Kickboxing record
| 19 Wins (12 (T)KO's, 2 Losses | ||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-03-30 | Win | Fou Ah-Lam | King in the Ring 92 kg II,Final | Auckland, New Zealand | KO (low kick) | 2 | 1:28 | |
| Wins King in the Ring 92 kg II Tournament title. | ||||||||
| 2019-03-30 | Win | Nato La'auli | King in the Ring 92 kg II, Semi Final | Auckland, New Zealand | KO (kick to the body) | 3 | 1:54 | |
| 2019-03-30 | Win | Julius Poananga | King in the Ring 92 kg II, Quarter Final | Auckland, New Zealand | TKO (punches and knees) | 3 | 0:48 | |
| 2018-07-28 | Win | Bruno Susano | EM Legend 32 | Chengdu, China | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2018-04-21 | Win | Oleg Pryimachov | EM Legend 30 | Emei, China | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2018-01-20 | Loss | Oleg Pryimachov | EM Legend 27 | Kunming, China | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2017-09-29 | Win | Stanislav | EM Legend 23 | Yilong, China | TKO (corner stoppage) | 2 | 0:34 | |
| 2017-06-30 | Win | Nato Laauli | King in the Ring 100kg III, Final | Auckland, New Zealand | TKO (punches) | 2 | 0:41 | |
| Wins King in the Ring 100 kg III Tournament title. | ||||||||
| 2017-06-30 | Win | Ata Fakalelu | King in the Ring 100kg III, Semi Final | Auckland, New Zealand | Decision (majority) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2017-06-30 | Win | Tafa Misipati | King in the Ring 100kg III, Quarter Final | Auckland, New Zealand | KO (front kick) | 2 | 1:52 | |
| 2017-03-31 | Win | Jake Heun | EM Legend 17 | Emei, China | Decision (unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
| 2016-12-23 | Win | Sherzad Babazhanau | EM Legend 15 | Emei, China | TKO (retirement) | 2 | 2:30 | |
| 2016-09-23 | Loss | Sergej Maslobojev | EM Legend 12 | Chengdu, China | TKO (Low kicks) | 3 | 2:31 | |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes | ||||||||
Professional boxing record
| 1 fight | 1 win | 0 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Daniel Meehan | UD | 4 (4) | 22 Aug 2015 | TSB Stadium, New Plymouth, New Zealand |